• RSPECTIVE HUG students have few fears over conflict in Israel After preaching to a group ofstudents in Nazareth, Israel, Dr. Neale Pryor, distinguished professor of Bible, said he cou ld hear what sounded like thunder in the far-off distance. However, what Pryor and t he students had heard was not thunder at all; it was actually the sound of artillery shells as the conflict between Israel and Lebanon broke our. Pryor and the students were pan of the group that attended Harding University in Greece during the summer. The group was given an option in July to take an ll-day trip into Israel, while the Israeli and Lebanese conflict was escalating. Despite the heightened security concerns, more than 30 students chose to participate in the tour while 10 opted to stay behind. Many of the students who decided to make the trip said they felt (hey would be completely safe and did nor know if they would ever ger the opportunity to visit Israel again. Junior Eric Smith said he did not have any hesitations about his decision to go, and in the end, knew he had made the right choice. "It was amazing to see all the places in the Bible that we talk about here at school and at church," Smith said. "We got to see so many historical sites." D r. Jeffrey Hopper, dean of the H onors College and international pro– grams, said the group's safety was always considered. W hen rhe fi ghting broke out in Lebanon near the northern Israeli border, the tour changed its itinerary to stay in the south for the remainder of the trip. "We would never knowingly put any student in harm's way," Hopper said. "Our swdents were never near any known danger or fighdng of any kind. The picture presented in the news media does not resemble what you see when you are in [he country. Our students only saw such images on TV while they were in Israel." Pryor said because of the change of course, he felt secure and far away from the conflict. "Personally, I didn't realize how big of a deal it was until I got home and heard the concerns of everyone back here," Pryor said. "I guess you could say it was blissful igno rance. I am just sorry the young people did no t get to see more of Nazareth or the Sea of Galilee." Senior Madison Orsburn said ifhe were given the choice, he would make the same decision to stay with the group. "It changes how you think about Gethsemane when you have actually visited the Ga rden of Gethsemane," Orsburn said. "The time we spent in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified, where we think he was buried, brought a real sense of what we read in the Bible." -Brian Hall Gathering under a tree, summer HUG students listen to Jerry Myhan, director of Harding University in Greece, on July 17 while in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. Afterward, students were given an opportunity to meditate and pray in the garden. -Chelsea Roberson hu - greece 4
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